


Snow Angels

by Glittering_Darmallon



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Default Shepard (Mass Effect), Disabled Character, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Reaper War, Prosthesis, Romantic Gestures, Shepard doesn't like the cold, Snow, Spacer (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 22:10:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17475875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glittering_Darmallon/pseuds/Glittering_Darmallon
Summary: Kaidan and John go for a walk in the snow, and John beats him to the punch.





	Snow Angels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [comefeedtherainn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/comefeedtherainn/gifts).



A soft brush of skin against his cheek roused John from a deep but somehow restless sleep. On instinct, he rolled away from the sensation, his leg getting tangled in the sheets, and what remained of his other leg wasn’t enough to kick the covers away. Instead, he settled for grumbling into his pillow, “Five more minutes.”

 

Kaidan’s gravelly timbre filled John’s ears not even an inch away from his face. Odd. He hadn’t even noticed the bed dipping down beside him to allow Kaidan to get that close. “Nope. I made pancakes. Come on.” He pressed a kiss to John’s cheek.

 

Still unwilling to get up--it was just so warm under the blankets. Why was Canada so cold? He’d grown up on a ship… a climate controlled ship in space. This was madness. How did Kaidan live like this--he merely pressed his face into the pillow. “Too cold.”

 

He expected Kaidan’s voice of reason to try again. When that didn’t happen, John opened his eyes to see Kaidan, still in his pajamas, crawling under the blankets with him. “You know if you want breakfast in bed, you actually need to ask. I’m no mind reader. So, five more minutes,” he said, pressing another kiss to John’s skin, this time on the hinge of his jaw, “then it's out of bed for breakfast. We have plans today.”

 

What? That didn’t sound familiar. “No, we don’t.”

 

A warm, strong arm looped around his waist, followed by a chuckle. “Not that you know about, no. I was hoping to surprise you.”

 

Aw shit. When Kaidan sounded like that it was hard to deny the man anything. “Okay. You win, Kaidan. I’ll get-” Before he could finish, however, Kaidan was already up and moving around to John’s side of the bed. He opened his eyes to see him picking up John’s prosthesis and kneeling on the floor beside the bed, prosthetic liner in his other hand. He sat up “You know I can do this by myself, right?”

 

John watched Kaidan swallow hard before he looked up at him from his place on the floor. “I know, I just…”

 

“Wanted to help?” John finished for him.

 

Kaidan nodded in earnest. “I know. I know that. Just so much of your recovery once you woke up was mental. You know? A lot of trauma to work through. I couldn’t help with that. It hurt to see you hurting. Still does. But this?  _ This _ I can do.” 

 

John swung his legs... leg… leg and a half…

 

He took a cleansing breath to clear his head and hung his limbs over the bed, staring at what little remained of his left leg. He supposed that after almost a year and a half since the end of the war he  _ should _ be used to his new reality by now. Most days he was, but it didn’t always work like that. 

 

“So I was thinking,” Kaidan said as he rolled the silicone liner up and over John’s thigh, “we take a walk. It snowed a bit last night. Nothing too bad, so it shouldn't be slippery. Pretty though, but it will probably melt by tomorrow. And then make our way across town for lunch at that little bistro I told you about. The one with the huge soup menu. Got us reservations.”

 

John shook his head, a soft laugh escaping his throat. “You and your soup.”

 

Kaidan held John’s prosthesis so he could step into it. “What?” Kaidan asked, seemingly shocked. Though John could see the mirth in his eyes. “Soup is great for cold weather.” He offered a hand to pull John to his feet. “How does that sound?”

 

“Sounds great.”

 

“Leg sitting okay? Need to adjust?”

 

“No, we’re good.” John pulled him close and kissed his forehead. “Feels great. Thanks.”

 

***

 

When Kaidan said he’d made pancakes, John expected to find a short stack and some syrup not the full and frankly elaborate spread before him. Fruit, ham, bacon, oatmeal, plus the pancakes and steaming hot coffee. “What time did you get up to have all of this ready? I didn’t even notice you leaving the bed.”

 

Kaidan snagged a grape from the bowl. “I wouldn’t have expected you to. You took your sleeping medication last night. Sometimes it really knocks you out, and I have to stop myself from making sure you’re still breathing." He sighed, "Don’t look at me like that. I’ve already buried you twice, metaphorically speaking. I do not want to do it a third time unless we’re old and extremely wrinkled,” he winked at John. “But you needed the rest. I’d have been a terrible boyfriend to miss how little you’d been sleeping this week. Just the nightmares or something else?”

 

John ran a hand over his buzzed short hair. It was getting too long; he’d have to cut it tomorrow. He shrugged. “The usual. I don’t feel like I got a good night’s sleep though.”

 

Kaidan covered John’s hand upon the table with his own. “That’s the trouble with being sleep deprived. Takes a bit of time to catch back up. But eat up.” He rubbed the skin of the back of John’s hand with his thumb.

 

After they’d both had their fill, John having seconds, Kaidan practically eating them out of house and home, they dressed and set off on their walk.

 

“Let me know if you get tired, and we’ll stop.”

 

John looped his red scarf tighter around his neck. Forget Kaidan- why did _anyone_ live here? It was freezing. “I’m not fragile. I’ll manage.”

 

He watched Kaidan’s face fall like a child’s who’d just been scolded; he and looked a John for a long moment, his face belying all the emotions and things he wasn’t saying. “You’re right. You are not fragile. Sorry. I’ll do better.” He reached out and took John’s hand.

 

“Why is it so damn cold, Kaidan?” John asked looking over at him... in his light coat and no hat. Kaidan’s thin gloved fingers grasped his own which lay trapped in woolen mittens.

 

“It’s really not. This is nothing.”

 

“It can get _worse_?” John’s voice rose in pitch and volume out of shock. “My blood feels like it’s freezing.”

 

“Vancouver is a pretty temperate city. At least where Canadian winters are concerned.”

 

John narrowed his eyes at him. “I can’t be sure if you’re making fun of me or not, but please never take me somewhere colder than this.”

 

Kaidan took that opportunity to pull him into a kiss that left John breathless. When he pulled back, he kissed John’s nose. A nose that was probably bright pink and looked ridiculous. “I wasn't mocking you. I was being sincere.”

 

As they continued their walk through Stanley Park, John had to admit the powdery snow was quite beautiful. Every so often, Kaidan would kick up the snow, sending a flurry of flakes cascading down over them. 

 

“It’s like you’re five years old, Kaidan,” John said, rolling his eyes, but his tone was full of fondness. Even a stranger could have heard it in his voice. He looked over at Kaidan, his dark hair that had been acquiring more salt and pepper lately, was dusted with white, the shoulders of his coat too. Snowflakes clung to his eyelashes, and despite Kaidan declaring that it wasn’t that cold out, there was an enticing pink flush to his cheeks. He looked almost angelic. Damn, he was handsome, and John loved him so much it made his chest ache with it some days.

 

At that moment, John found himself overcome with emotion. How he’d managed to have someone like Kaidan, he’d never know. They’d survived the Reaper War; John had survived dying  _ twice _ , putting Kaidan through the emotional ringer both times. Yet, he not only had stood by him, remaining by his side through the countless hours of therapy... was there as John had to learn to walk again this time minus most of a leg. He was a lucky man; John knew it. He turned, fisting his hands in Kaidan’s coat and pulled him into a tender kiss.

 

“Mmm,” Kaidan mumbled against John’s lips, “what was that for? Not that I’m complaining.”

 

“Marry me?” John asked, but it truly was less of a question, more like a pleading declaration.

 

To his surprise, Kaidan began laughing, taking a moment or two before he could form words. “You bastard. Really, John? Today of all days you ask me that,” he said, still overwhelmed by laughter.

 

Confused and a little hurt, John stared at him. Why was it such a funny thing to ask? “I don’t-”

 

Kaidan caressed his cheek then pressed a finger to his lips. “Why do you think I went over the top with breakfast? This walk? A lunch date? Beat me to the punch.”

 

Oh... _o_ _ h.  _ Now that Kaidan had explained things, John felt a bit like an ass. “I couldn’t help it. You were just standing there, covered in snow, and... it just came out.”

 

“Just like you, too. To go with your gut.” Kaidan returned the favor, tugging John to him for another kiss, but lost his footing on a rock that lay hidden by the snow. He crashed to the ground, pulling John down on top of him, a puff of snowflakes rushing into the air around them.

 

The hilarity of the whole situation was not lost on John, and he joined Kaidan in laughter, rolling off of him and staring up at the cloudy sky.

 

“Can’t believe you stole my thunder. I had a whole speech planned,” Kaidan wheezed. He pushed himself up onto an elbow and stared down at John, eyes glistening with tears. Whether from laughter or happiness, John couldn’t say. “It’s a yes, by the way.”

 

John reached up, placing his hand at the back of Kaidan’s head. “For a minute there, I thought you might say no.”

 

Kaidan rolled on top of him, bracketing John’s face with his arms. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Wouldn’t dream of saying no. It’s a yes, without question.”

 

They lay there in the snow for a minute or two, sharing lazy kisses before heading back home to lose themselves in each other. Needless to say, they didn’t make their lunch reservation.

 


End file.
